Why Patrick Kane's relationship with John McDonough was ‘a little bit different'

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One of the big topics from Thursday's Zoom video conference call held by the Blackhawks was the firing of former team President and CEO John McDonough, who was released in late April during the NHL pause. McDonough was with the organization for 13 years.

“First off, I think it was surprising,” three-time Stanley Cup champ Patrick Kane said on the call. “But John is an amazing man and did so much for the organization. I think our relationship was maybe a little bit different than others. He had some tough conversations with me, for sure, and I think that only helped me become a better player, a better person, to kind of mature a little bit faster than maybe I would have.

“But one thing about John just talking to him, he always had your best interests at heart. Whether he was tough on you or not, he wanted the best for the person you were or not specifically the athlete or the hockey player. A lot of respect for him. Called him, talked to him, kind of thanked him for everything he did for me personally and the organization.”

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Hawks vice president and general manager Stan Bowman remembered McDonough's work with the franchise and the role he played in Bowman's career fondly as well.

“John was in a lot of ways a mentor for me,” Bowman said. “I learned so much from him over the years. He gave me the opportunity to take this role. I think I’ll always be appreciative of that. Over the years got a chance to work closely with him. He’s a very bright guy, learned so many things. He was a great support for myself, and I think he did a lot of great things for the organization. I thank him from that perspective.”

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